Ricochet is a bilingual collection of word sonnets by one of the chief innovators of the form, Seymour Mayne. It includes three sequences of pithy and evocative poems that encapsulate moments of sharp perception while also drawing attention to instants of humour that suddenly appear in daily life. Concise and visual in effect, word sonnets are fourteen line poems, with one word per line. Frequently allusive and imagistic, they can also be irreverent and playful. While informed by other short poetry forms such as the Haiku, Mayne's word sonnets are deeply influenced by the Talmudic tradition of maxims, proverbs and images that instruct and inform everyday life. Presented with an excellent translation of the poems into French, Ricochet is a unique volume that showcases this innovative new form. The collection also includes a short preface by the poet and an introductory essay by the translator on the challenges of translating word sonnets. Bilingual Edition.

Seymour Mayne's word sonnet is a relatively new variation of the traditional form. It is an inheritance and innovation of Shakespeare's sonnets. In essence, it is a fourteen-line poem, with one word set for each line. Concise and usually visual in effect, this "miniature" version can contain one or more sentences, as the articulation requires. Seymour's word sonnets are short and concise, but full of rhythm and philosophy, each of them is the fruit of the poet's observation and thinking of life and nature as well as the representation of the poet's inspiration. In view of the refreshing artistry and thought-provoking philosophy of the word sonnets, the translator translated them into Chinese, hoping that readers in the Chinese world who love poetry can have the opportunity of to appreciate Seymour's poetry. Each of the word sonnets in the following sequences attempts to be a pithy and suggestive poem in its own right. Many draw on the seasons and also aim for a compact resonance that may attract the reader to return to them again and again .